Recent news from our international work

April 24, 2025

We mourn Pope Francis and share the world’s loss

It is with sadness that we have received the news of Pope Francis' death and share the loss of our friends, the Church and the world, write Herman Hallonsten and Lotta Sjöström Becker, Chairperson and Secretary General of the Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR).

November 12, 2022

IFOR Juba Conference: Armed Conflicts and Peaceful Transition in Africa Nov 12th

Ahead of its quadrennial 2022 Council which will start on November 14th in Juba, South Sudan, and will last a week, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation organizes an International event focusing on peace efforts in the African continent.

From the four corners of the world, artisans of non-violence, reconciliation and peace are meeting in the African city of Juba, South Sudan. On Friday 11th and Saturday 12th November 2022, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) -a spiritual based peace movement founded in 1914- will host a public Conference at the All Saints Cathedral […]

July 20, 2022

Joint declaration of international CSOs expressing concern about the criminalization of Father Marcelo

10 international CSOs release a joint declaration to express concern about the situation of human rights defender Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, parish priest of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas.

Criminalisation against Father Marcelo Perez Perez, Parish Priest of the Diocese of San Cristobal de Las Casas The undersigned organisations express their deep concern at the attempted criminalisation of Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez, parish priest of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de Las Casas, human rights […]

July 8, 2022

We manifest our concerns about Father Marcelo Pérez Pérez

Pronouncement. Father Marcelo has been working for more than 20 years in Chiapas in peace building processes. Along with other 26 national and international Civil Society Organizations, we express our concern about this human rights defender, who, due to this work, has been criminalized and his safety is compromised for a felony he did not commit.

Read the full pronouncement We manifest our concerns about the risks of detainment, disappearance, or assassination. Hereby, the undersigned national and international civil society organizations, condemn the request for an arrest warrant against the human rights defender Marcelo Pérez Pérez. Requested by the State Attorney General’s Office on June 21st, 2022, to the Control Court […]

June 10, 2022

Militarization and rights of indigenous peoples in Chiapas

The militarization of indigenous territories is one of the main driving factors in conflicts, and often leads to the displacement of indigenous people or to situations very close to a state of war that endanger people’s lives, according to The United Nations Working Group about Indigenous People. This development can be observed in Chiapas, Mexico.

“They don´t consider our rights as indigenous people, they don´t ask if we want the National Guard. The municipal, state and federal governments made the decision to place the National Guard in our municipality.” Member of the Community Government of Chilón The municipality of Chilón in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, is populated by almost […]

February 24, 2022

Yonny Ronay, a student sentenced to 32 years in prison for a crime he did not commit

According to the lawyers of the Human Rights Center Fray Bartolomé de las Casas (Frayba), the trial against Yonny presents a series of irregularities, such as forgery of signatures, attribution of crimes unrelated to the accused and fabrication of testimonies by the prosecutor’s office in Chiapas, Mexico. Frayba confirms that Yonny’s case is just one […]

November 22, 2021

Joint statement for the recent disinformation, defamation and criminalization campaign against the International Accompaniment Project in Guatemala (ACOGUATE)

November 3, 2021 Joint statement The Network of International Accompaniment Organizations in Latin America and allied organizations express concern about the recent disinformation, defamation and criminalization against the International Accompaniment Project in Guatemala (ACOGUATE). The Peace Brigades International (PBI) organizations; Fray Bartolomé de las Casas Human Rights Center (Frayba); Christian Teams of Action for […]

October 23, 2021

SweFOR Guatemala: Rejection of Violence

In the light of the misinformation circulating about our work and presence in Guatemala in the context of the march that took place in Guatemala City on the 12th of October, SweFOR as a nonviolent organisation would like to stress our rejection of all forms of violence and the acts of violence that took place during the march.

The Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) is a Swedish nonviolent organization working for peace, justice, a world without violence and a sustainable way of life. Within the framework of our Peace Service programme, SweFOR accompanies human rights defenders in Guatemala, Colombia and Mexico to provide them with protection and amplify their space of action. The […]

October 15, 2021

SweFOR’s mandate in Guatemala: nonviolent work and presence – a clarification

The Swedish Fellowship of Reconciliation (SweFOR) is a Swedish nonviolent organization working for peace, justice, a world without violence and a sustainable way of life. It is an ecumenical organisation established in 1919 and a member of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), which has consultative status with the UN. Through our Peace Service Program, […]

September 1, 2021

Forced Internal Displacement in Chiapas

Forced Internal Displacement (FID) is a multiple and continuous violation of human rights, especially related to a resurgence of socio-political violence and situations of serious armed conflict in Chiapas, which brings with it challenges for human rights defenders.

Forced internal displacement (FID), as a continuous and multiple violation of human rights, consists of the displacement of people or groups of people who have been forced or obligated to escape or flee from their home or their usual place of residence, particularly as a result of or to avoid the effects of an armed […]